MESSENGER is on its way back to Earth for a gravity assist that will send it deeper into the inner solar system. You can follow the event on the MESSENGER Web site by going to the Earth Flyby section at http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/flyby/index.html, which offers a complete look at the August 2 gravity assist ? from simulated views of MESSENGER's progress, to a flyby timeline of spacecraft activity, to details about the best places for observers to see MESSENGER as is swings past Earth.